One of the best things about Pride Month is the number of queer-themed events that go on throughout the community. That being said, sometimes you see a cool event and it ends up being in a city you can’t get to (hello from the Midwest, lol).
That’s not the case with Roaring Rainbow, an upcoming online concert created and hosted by the sibling folk duo, The Doubleclicks.
Photo by Kim Newmoney
“Our goal is to have a really fun show full of visible trans and queer adults. Representation matters. Queer kids need to know that we see them and we love them and that there are queer elders excited for them and their future,” said Laser Malena-Webber, Roaring Rainbow founder/host and member of music duo The Doubleclicks.
Roaring Rainbow will take place on June 12th starting at 2 pm Pacific and has a stacked lineup of queer performers. Here’s the list:
Rebecca Sugar – Creator of Steven Universe
The Doubleclicks – Sibling Folk-Pop Duo
Sydnee McElroy, Teylor Smirl and Rileigh Smirl – Hosts of Still Buffering, A Cross-Generational Culture Podcast
Charlie Jane Anders – Hugo-winning Sci-Fi Author and Podcaster
She/Her/Hers – Sad Grrrl Pop-Punk Band
Annalee Newitz – Hugo-winning Sci-Fi Author and Podcaster
Crys Matthews – Social Justice Songwriter
SuperKnova – Trans Girl Making Guitar-Driven Electronic Pop
Lindz Amer – Founder, Queer Kid Stuff
Jeffrey Marsh – Speaker, Author of How To Be You
Sunday Comes Afterwards – Geeky Singer/Songwriter
Charlie // Amáyá – Creator of Diné Aesthetics, TikTok and Instagram Creator
Tickets for the show start at $5, but there are also premium tiers that include extra bonuses. The $20 Roaring Rainbow Premium Ticket includes a ticket to an after-show that follows immediately after the main event. The after-show includes extra music from The Doubleclicks and 5 tickets to a raffle that includes prize packages from performers and sponsors. For those who are interested in becoming a sponsor, that’s the $100 mark, which gets you an exclusive Roaring Rainbow mug, your name listed in the thank-you credits of our live show, entry into both shows (the main one and the after-show), and 10 raffle tickets.
Thanks to the sponsors the show has gotten so far, members of the LGBTQ+ community can request a FREE ticket to the show. These tickets are limited, though, so get on that as soon as you can.
ALL of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go toward 2 trans organizations. Those organizations are listed below:
Trans Families: a nonprofit organization that runs support groups for kids and their parents, has a leadership program for trans youth, and presents Gender Odyssey, an international conference focused on the needs and interests of transgender and gender diverse children of all ages, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Evidence shows that having even one supportive parent/caregiver means gender-diverse kids survive, thrive, and can even feel the joy all kids should feel growing up.
The National Center for Transgender Equality: an organization that advocates changing policies and society to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. In the nation’s capital and throughout the country, NCTE works to replace disrespect, discrimination, and violence with empathy, opportunity, and justice.
“Gender-diverse kids are already so vulnerable, and it makes me absolutely livid when adults employ wild strawman arguments to attack them for no reason,” said Laser. “It needs to stop.”
Laser is absolutely right. 2021 has not been kind to the trans community, especially trans youth. I covered an example of this last week with Tennessee’s governor continuing to sign anti-trans bills. Even if you don’t live in the state that’s affected by this, it’s upsetting to see this level of hate from someone who has the power to institute it and make it a law that must be followed. We need concerts like Roaring Rainbow to show trans youth that there are people out there who support them and who fight to show that bigotry should never be the norm. Even if you can’t catch the show, knowing that there’s an event that is purposely raising money for the trans community is an inspiring thing to see.
You can check out more event details, along with where to buy tickets and cute merch (that poster is meant to be on my wall) right here.
(Image: Teylor Smirl)
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